


Fireworks

by FleetSparrow



Category: Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Genre: Don't think too hard about how fast he's flying, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 07:53:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16657186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FleetSparrow/pseuds/FleetSparrow
Summary: Jupiter teaches Caine the meaning of New Year's, and Caine decides a fun surprise might be in store.





	Fireworks

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kereia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kereia/gifts).



“I can't believe you don't celebrate New Year's eve. It's like, the year's birthday,” Jupiter said.

“We don't really celebrate birthdays,” Caine said.

They were seated on top of the Sears Tower, having an early, but very romantic, picnic dinner.

“What do you celebrate then?”

“They're more like milestones,” Caine said. “There's the day I got my wings. The day I first learned to fly. That sort of thing.”

Jupiter nodded. “We celebrate birthdays here. It's just a celebration of making it another year older.”

Birthdays had taken on a new significance to Jupiter since she and the rest of the Earth almost had their last one some months ago. It was still almost unreal to her that she had saved the Earth from becoming nothing but a dead planet with a harvested population from a bunch of space royalty.

“New Year's is how we celebrate the whole world getting another year older,” she said. “There's fireworks and a countdown, and if you're lucky, a New Year's kiss.”

Caine nodded, his brow furrowed in that way it did when he was thinking hard. It was really cute.

“Where do these fireworks happen?” he asked.

“All over the world,” she said.

He nodded, still deep in thought. Jupiter wanted to ask what he was thinking about, but instead she finished her food in silence.

This would mark another year that the Earth had survived total calamity, thanks to her and Caine and the crew of the Aegis. And what a calamity it would have been. With all the earthly things threatening the planet, no one would have suspected the most dangerous assault would have come from another planet.

She looked at her royal seal, faintly glowing against her skin, and rubbed it. It shone a little brighter. She looked back at Caine and found he had packed up the remains of their dinner.

“When do these fireworks start?”

“When the clock turns to midnight,” she said. “Why?”

“Do you want to go flying with me?” he asked.

She stood up. “I'd love to.”

“Dress warm,” he said. He picked her up and jumped off the building, his wings spreading out behind him. He caught a current, and the two of them went gliding on the wind.

He dropped her off near her home and promised to wait for her. She ran home and changed into warmer clothes.

“My darling, where are you going?” her mother asked.

“Out for New Year's,” she said, digging out her heaviest coat.

“It's not even six! Where are you going?”

“Just into the city,” she said. She kissed Aleksa goodbye. “I won't be too late, Mom!”

Jupiter ran back to Caine, all but throwing herself into his arms. “OK, I've got a world clock on my phone and we're ready to go.”

Caine looked around. Nobody was there. He took off with Jupiter and flew at ridiculous speeds towards the first city she pointed out.

London.

The fireworks over Big Ben were spectacular. They could hear bells and noisemakers going off from below. Caine landed on a rooftop so they could watch. Jupiter hugged him tight as the fireworks exploded their magnificent colors in the air. He kissed her and she blushed.

They flew next to Rio de Janeiro, and sat on the outstretched arms of Christ the Redeemer, watching the celebration far below. Jupiter pointed out some of her favorite fireworks, the large ones that sparkled like whole galaxies. Caine kissed her as a giant one blew up right before them.

Caine flew them to Buenos Aires, where they camped out on the construction on top of the Alvear Tower. Caine wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

“What are all the kisses for?” she asked.

“You said that's an Earth tradition.”

Jupiter smiled. “Yeah, it is.”

“So I’m learning some new things,” he said. “Isn’t that some Earth saying? Teaching an old dog new tricks?”

“Usually it’s that you can’t, but you’re not that old,” she said. “I think you’re learning just fine.”

They flew to New York next, watching the fireworks from high above Times Square. Caine’s wings flapped to keep them hovering relatively steady. Jupiter wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

“Do you like Earth traditions?” she asked.

“I like this one.”

“I like this one, too,” she said.

They flew home to Chicago leisurely, reaching the Sears Tower just as the clock struck midnight. The fireworks began, popping and bursting all around them. Jupiter watched in awe. There was something so special about seeing your own city’s celebration, even if you’d just seen several other cities.

She kissed Caine, and he picked her up into his arms.

“You know,” she started, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Chinese New Year's is about two weeks away. Want to see it there too?”

“Sure. Is that different from tonight?”

“Sort of,” Jupiter said. “It's pretty similar, but it celebrates a different new year. Earth has lots of different traditions.”

“Next year, I'll show you some of ours.”

“Yeah? What kind of traditions do you have?” she asked, playing with his shirt collar.

“Sometimes we'll go out to a vast nebula and watch the stars explode. You think fireworks are amazing? Wait until you see a supernova.”

Jupiter stared up at him with wide, excited eyes.

Caine kissed her for a long moment then set her down. “When will I see you again?”

“Tomorrow?”

“I guess I can wait that long. But not much longer,” he said.

Jupiter smiled. “OK. I won't make you wait too long.”

She unzipped her jacket and hugged him, able to reach him easier without the layers of coat between them. He held her close, sniffing her hair as he did.

“You smell like space,” he said.

“Is that a good thing?” she asked.

“Definitely.” He pulled back and kissed her deeply. She moaned into his mouth. A firework went off right near them, but they didn’t even flinch. This was the best New Year’s Jupiter had ever spent.


End file.
